Will we qualify for the CL?

[VillaTim]

Still think it's too late .
All that calamitous defending in the first half of the season will cost us , the GD doesnt lie . We have to keep going but I think we are too late .

[PaulWinch again]

It’s demonstrably not “too late” but what it needs is for us to win a lot of games between now and the end of the season.

[Meanwood Villa]

Can probably only afford to lose one more game, maybe two if we win all the others. That demonstrates what a tall order it is. Will be a great end to the season if we do it. I'd trade it for FA cup though.

[Cliftonville Villlain]

League-wise its been calamitous compared to last year but somehow we"re still only two points off that 4th Champions League spot. We're in the CL quarter-finals (hopefully!), pushing for that 4th or 5th CL spot and in an FA Cup quarter-final. I've never seen Villa win the FA Cup so that's the one I want. Villa can take anyone in the CL and that's from someone who was in Brussels and Rotterdam. Because we have Unai Emery.

[eye digress]

Following 22-23 (Conference qualification) and 23-24 (Chumps’ qualification, Europa semi), we are entering the business end of the season with more irons in the fire (Chumps’ qualification, FA Cup, Chumps’ quarters) than ever.

Squad health is improving, and we’ve added some genuine star quality.

So although the league form has been poor, we do get to find out this year whether we are able to “grow” into champions.

[ChicagoLion]

I think we will need to win 6 out of the 9 left.
Not losing to Brighton or Bournemouth.
Yesterday the optima stats said we had a less than 1% chance.

[TelfordVilla]

Optima and all social media pundits just look at the current table and what has gone before. The difference is what is to come can be totally different for Villa as we have new players, fresh legs, and previous history of picking off all those teams currently ahead of us, one by one with head to head wins.
We've done it before and no other team has strengthened their squad in January.

[jwarry]

We have to play Brighton, Forest, Citeh, Newcastle and Bournemouth, so yes it’s still doable, but Will be a tall order to best all of them.  Of greater concern is that our last two games are against our bogey teams

[Richard]

We have to play Brighton, Forest, Citeh, Newcastle and Bournemouth, so yes it’s still doable, but Will be a tall order to best all of them.  Of greater concern is that our last two games are against our bogey teams

Maybe but we've already beaten Spurs at home this season and Manure are rubbish.

[eamonn]

Think we had to win yesterday to have any chance given all our rivals will have played one league game (or two in the case of Chelsea and Newcastle) by the time we play again.

After Forest beat Citeh, it would have been highly unlikely to catch them unless we won last night. They'll still probably get one of the three spots but if we beat them at VP, they can potentially be roped-in.

[Brazilian Villain]

After Forest beat Citeh, it would have been highly unlikely to catch them unless we won last night. They'll still probably get one of the three spots but if we beat them at VP, they can potentially be roped-in.

Looking at their remaining fixtures, a Citeh win would have been a much better result for us yesterday.

[eamonn]

Would it? I think Forest's run-in is tough enough.

Also, if we do finish the job against Bruges, we'll have the QF away leg after playing Forest the Saturday evening before. We'll then have the "nicest" league game between the first and second leg - Southampton (away) with the home second leg on the following midweek after which we'll play Newcastle at home on the next Saturday evening.

The lads aren't going to be training much in April. Game, rest and recovery and Uncle Unai's classroom (apparently modelled on Andy Townsend's Tactics Truck circa 2001 on ITV).

I dont know if the Tues/Weds have been already decided on the CL QF ties ?

[Brazilian Villain]

Would it? I think Forest's run-in is tough enough.

That was my point. It's going to be tough to overhaul Citeh given their fixtures, so it would have been better to be only 3 points behind Forest with them still to come to Villa Park.